The Future Corrected the mistakes from the first
by majinbuttercup
Summary: Revisions from first post. No pairings. Hints of future LD. Scene I thought belonged but was not there. One shot, complete. Rated G. Comments welcome. Not Lina Doon centric, but they are there. Timeline: Early to Mid P O S.


**THE FUTURE**

**By: Majinbuttercup**

Disclaimer: I do not own the books of Ember series, and am making no profit from this. Comments and Critiques welcome. Rated G. Timeline: Early People of Sparks

Doon and his father were sitting in their room. They had stripped down to soft pants, and were talking about the events of the day. Doon was thinking about how much he wanted to see Lina, but she was still staying with the doctor because Poppy had not yet gotten well. Edward Pocket was in his closet getting ready to sleep for the night.

The people had been staying in the village of Sparks for only a few weeks. While they missed their homes, and everything that had been left behind, they still loved this new world. Many Emberites still woke early just to watch the sun rise and listen to the birds celebrate the new morning. Many more stayed up late to watch the sun go down behind the horizon. Doon had been commenting to his father how he was constantly surprised at the wonderful things the people in Sparks didn't appreciate, such as the wind and grass. His father reminded him that they had felt the same way about electricity and running water back home, until the blackouts became so severe. Blowing out his candle, and snuggling into his covers, after pounding them a few times to try and make them comfortable, he drifted off to sleep.

A few hours later, but after what seemed to be merely moments, a scream pierced the air. He shot up in his bed, looking around for the source of the noise. "Father, what's happening?" Sadge Merrall whimpered in his sleep. 'He must have come back after we fell asleep,' Doon thought.

"Someone's screaming. We should go see if we can help." With a nod Doon grabbed a sweater and pulled it on, not bothering to put on his socks and shoes. Edward Pocket slept on. He and his father slipped out of the room and walked down the hall, listening as the screams got louder and shaking his head to questions posed by people he passed in the hallway poking their heads out of their doors and asking about the noise.

"It's coming, it's coming!" A man Doon recognized only from passing was shouting, as he paced the hallway in front of a room. He looked terrified. "The baby's coming!" Another scream ripped through the air.

There had been a few pregnant women to come out of Ember, and several with small babies. One in particular had been extremely large, and Doon remembered watching her and worrying that she would go into labor before they arrived, wherever it was they were going. He remembered that his father had told him their last name was Crow.

Ember had had two doctors. One, Doctor Hakrin, had died shortly before he and Lina had found the way out of Ember. He had been an old man, and his heart had finally given out. He had actually delivered him, and his father. The other, Doctor Tower, had been crushed during the stampede to escape. No new doctors had yet been appointed. There were a few Doctor's Assistants, however, and as word of what was happening spread through the hotel, they began to arrive, looking sleep mussed and slightly confused. The oldest of them looked as though it had been less than ten years since his Evaluation Day. He was to be the new doctor, and would have been promoted after the next Assignment Day, when a new assistant would be chosen to take his place.

He began to take charge, calling out orders, saying he needed disinfectant, which they did not have, clean rags, and boiling water, which would take them a while to get. Lorris Harrow looked at his son, "You should go get the doctor, we'll probably need her." As another scream came from the woman in the room, he nodded and went to get his shoes and socks.

He passed Tick in the hallway, who scowled when he told him what he was doing. "We don't need her" he mumbled, and continued to rant about the capabilities of Ember healers to anyone who would listen, though Doon did not stay to hear what he had to say.

Running through the dark streets, with nothing more than the lights shining out from a few hearth fires and the moon, was an interesting experience to Doon. He had still not learned his way as well as he had known it in Ember, and once, with his mind on the woman in the hotel, he got turned around. But he soon discovered his error, and returned to the correct path, and within only a short time, was banging on the doctor's door.

"What do you want?" the scowling boy called Torren asked when he answered the door.

After a few moments to catch his breath, he gasped out "Doctor, need her, baby coming!" He collapsed onto the ground of the doorway, clutching a stitch in his side.

Hearing this, Doctor Hester began flittering around, looking for supplies in her disorderly rooms. Lina and Mrs. Murdo poked their heads into the room asking what they could do to help, and she began shouting orders. Doon was to lead her, Lina was to help her carry supplies, and Torren was to stay behind, unless something suddenly happened with Poppy and someone needed to come fetch her.

A short time later, she had gathered up her supplies, and was telling Doon to lead the way. As they came into the view of the Pioneer, the screams became louder. All around the hotel, various Emberites in various stages of undress were wandering around, unsure of what to do. Candles had been set up, and were being carried by confused people. In Ember, babies were born in the home, in the apartment, and usually only the family and the doctor, perhaps an assistant, were present. There were other activities going on to drown out the screams and distract the neighbors, lights to see by, and medicine available. Even people who were parents or siblings and had been around birthing before, were tense. It was a completely new experience. It was just one of the new events in a new world.

Doctor Hester took over. She guided the assistants, and together they made preparations for the new baby. Lina and Doon sat with the soon to be father, who had only had his Evaluation three years ago. Eighteen was seen by some as a little early to be a father, but it was not unheard of. He had been a man for three years, after all. He shook with fear and anticipation as he listened to his wife's screams. "My name's Aban, my wife is Dream. You two are Lina and Doon, of course. Your father had a very nice shop, back home, I mean. I bought some nice cabinet knobs from there when we got married. Really dressed up our room. Is she going to be okay?" He asked as Doctor Hester poked her head out to rinse some blood off of her hands in the basin outside the door. Aban's eyes got large as he noticed what she was doing. Doon had to grab his arm to stop him from rushing into the room. "Dream!"

"Good boy. Keep him there. I think it shouldn't be long now. Lina, dump this outside and get me some more, and then get me some pillows, and some more blankets."

Lina nodded and left to fulfill her tasks, pausing momentarily when a scream came from the room. When she returned with the basin, she went in search of pillows and blankets, but she didn't have to go far, for the people staying in the room next to the woman handed her some. "We aren't getting any sleep anyway," said a boy who looked to be a few years younger than her and Doon. He smiled, and closed his door again.

Lina knocked, and one of the Doctor's Assistants from Ember, Kari Loomis, who had often had her send secret messages to her boyfriend Steip Barron on Night Street, took the blankets and pillows while giving her a smile.

A few minutes later, it was clear that something important was happening. The screams came faster and louder, and the Doctor's voice became more distinct through the door, as she told the soon to be mother to push. Occasionally, out of desperation, fearing for the woman, Lina grabbed Doon's hand, and Doon, though it hurt and he was losing feeling in his fingers, did not pull away. He remembered a few years ago when Lina had missed school because her mother had died while giving birth to Poppy. Keeping watch on Aban, should he need to hold him back again, he rubbed Lina's forearm in a soothing way with his free hand.

Soon, a welcome sound was heard, a baby's cry. Doctor Hester was heard telling the mother to push one more time, and then, the door was opening, and the doctor was emerging. "It's a girl!"

"A girl, a girl!" Suddenly it seemed that the hotel would burst from all of the well wishers' shouts, and all of the joyous cries. The first baby of Ember born in the new world!

Lina and Doon began to walk away, so Aban could go see his wife, and meet his new daughter. "Wait, come and meet her!" They turned to look at him, unsure.

Others urged them on. "If it wasn't for them, this wouldn't have happened," they said. "That's right; we'd all be dead in Ember, if it wasn't for the two of you." Other people said similar things to encourage them, and show their gratitude. So, looking at each other, Lina and Doon grinned, and turned back to go into the room and see the new family.

"She's beautiful. What are you going to name her?" Lina asked. Dream and Aban looked at each other and smiled.

"Our eating family told us, one day while we were at lunch, that in the ancient times, people had two names. Not just a first name and a last name, but a middle name too. So we picked out a name that used that tradition. Because you two saved us all, we chose, for the first name, 'Dina.' It's a combination of Doon and Lina. And, because she's the first Emberite born in the new world, we chose, for the middle name 'Hope.' She is a sign of our people's hope."

Doon and Lina looked at each other, stunned. Lina sniffled a little and wiped away a bit of wetness from her eyes. "What if it had been a boy?"

"Fleetrow Marvel. The new world is a marvelous place we can't wait for our child to experience."

Lorris Harrow came in; he had overheard the conversation while trying to hold back the crowd of Emberites wanting to greet the newest member of the population. "Fine names, both of them. We must make sure that Ember is never forgotten, or the love my son and Lina had for us. Congratulations to you both. Come along children, let's leave them in peace."

"Okay, Father." He and Lina turned to go, but Lina stopped.

"Wait! Can I hold her for a minute? I have a little sister, so I know what to do."

Aban and Dream looked at one another and smiled, "I don't see why not." Lina walked over and picked the little baby up, carefully protecting her neck from snapping back.

She sat down on the floor and Doon sat down next to her, lightly stroking the baby's face. He had never really been around baby's much, seeing as he was an only child, but he knew he had to be gentle with her. "Dina Hope. She's so beautiful. Look how tiny she is Doon!" Doon just smiled and nodded. Lina looked back down at the baby, and her tears returned. Tears of happiness at the new life in her hands, tears of sorrow for her city and it's death and the lives lost, tears of gratitude that their scheme wasn't foolhardy enough to get everyone killed, tears of joy that these two strangers felt that they were the saviors of their people and wanted to celebrate it in the name of their child, tears of fear for what the future may hold, and excitement for whatever wonders there might be.

Without really realizing it, the Song of Greeting began in her thoughts, and suddenly came out of her mouth. Because no new people ever came to Ember except through birth, it was often sung when babies were born, but also sometimes at weddings. Soon Doon was singing along, then his father and the others of the room, then the people in the hallway, and finally everyone at the Pioneer Hotel, with the exception of Doctor Hester who didn't know the words, was singing. They were singing the celebration of new life and the chance of new life for their people. Lina was not the only one crying by the time the song finished.

As Doon walked her and Doctor Hester out the next day, when she was sure there was no more danger, Lina smiled. She gave him a hug and promised to come see him soon, when Poppy was all better. Doon nodded, and said he would come see her that night after work. Tick hollered at Doon to come see something, so he waved good – bye and ran over to the other boy. Lina frowned, and she and the Doctor began walking up the path to home, with the Doctor explaining that the reason why the birth had been so hard was that the baby was turned the wrong way, and that she had needed to turn it around before it could come out. She talked about training the Doctor's Assistants of Ember and Mrs. Murdo what to do if it should happen again, but by this time, Lina wasn't listening anymore. Her mind was on Doon, the unpleasant boy called Tick, returning home to that horrible Torren and her mountain of chores, and what the future might hold.

~~~~~~~Owari~~~~~~


End file.
